The audience cheered loudly when the lights went down in the concert venue. They stayed that way for about thirty seconds, as anticipation raised for the show they expected. Then the rhythmic sound of the synthesised music known as “K-Pop” suddenly filled the arena whilst the lights flashed the announcement that the headline act was indeed now taking the stage:
“K-Pop USA Festival presents Cuties 2”
The two singers then appeared onstage, illuminated by the colourful spotlights, as the crowd cheered even louder. They were identical young girls of Asian decent, small-built and quite pretty in their “schoolgirl” style outfits and glittery makeup. Both of them wore as necklaces silver pendants of their group name and logo. They performed the choreographed dance steps of their genre and began to sing the high-pitched lyrics in Korean.
The audience continued to cheer and dance and chant the name of the group. Joy and a sense of fun filled them at being able to experience the performance.
“Cuties 2! Cuties! Cuties 2!” they said as the music continued to fill the venue.
None the less, as the show went on, a different aspect began to appear as part of it. For the same audience in time took upon a darker tone to their adoration of the pop stars onstage. Strangely, the crowd began to grow violent and to start running around the arena, committing acts of vandalism and destruction -- and even assault upon members of the venue’s security staff.
Onstage, the act continued, with the two attractive girl vocalists seemingly oblivious to what was occurring.
Backstage, viewing the erupting chaos with a grin of satisfaction on his face was a man of about fifty years of age. He was short and rather obese, and clad in a suit of shiny black. His head was bald on top, but on the back and sides he wore his greying dark hair long. On his wide, jowly face was a sparse growth of beard. He slowly fingered an automatic pistol in the holster at his hip.
“All is going as planned,” he said to himself, his voice betraying an accent showing his origins in the American south. “My paranormal powers have been released through the music and have entered the very biology of these young people. They have responded as I would wish, to bring destruction upon all who would oppose me. Now, nothing can stand in my way. Soon -- very soon -- I, Zeke Powerz, will use the magic of chaos to become ruler of the world!” …
My name is RUMANOS -- DOCTOR DANIEL RUMANOS, Extraterrestrial Espionage Agent and Intergalactic Man of Mystery. Even though I have the physical appearance of an human being, I am in fact several thousands of years old and do carry within my blood the vastly superior genes of the legendary Aeternusians or “Watchers” of the Daemon-Star ALGOL. Originating ninety-three light years from Earth, we are the most intellectually advanced race in all of the known galaxies, whose technology is so sophisticated it often appears to be “magic” and “miraculous” to lesser beings.
Whilst most Algolites tend to keep to themselves, preferring to live in elitist seclusion from the rest of the Universe and thus merely observing the goings-on of the myriad races of the vast reaches around them, I am an Operative for a secret organisation known as the KOSMIKOS or Cosmic Intervention Department, tasked with maintaining peace and order throughout the farthest reaches of Space and Time. You know, “plausible deniability”, and all of that sort of thing. It is our ongoing mission to defend the weak, the unfortunate, and the innocent from those who would harm or exploit them.
Currently assigned to Earth, I protect its people (both upon their own planet and across the eternal void) from the hideous manipulations of the arch-villain known as Magister Don Wingus, along with his dangerously-seductive daughter, Anastasia, and his occult terrorist organisation, Spectral Paranormal; as well as from alien invasions, mad scientists, mutated monstrosities, power-crazed dictators, and indeed all manner of menace. Assisted by my friends -- the beautiful young Hollywood starlet Miss Millie “The Girl From Beyond” Drake, and our catlike robot known as Kit-10 -- I am the living icon of Algol on this world. I am a Knight of the Eternal Spires. I am the professor of the impossible, the purveyor of Pure Mystery, the saviour of the Cosmos, and the sword of justice from the planet Daemonia. I am the cosmic crusader. I am the stellar swashbuckler.
These are my memoirs. This is my story.
I am -- THE DAEMON-STAR!!! …
“Yes, ‘Cuties 2’ they are called,” I said. “A typical group of the K-Pop genre, that particular type of Korean popular music that has become so prevalent here in the United Sates of America.”
I was driving down that city avenue that night on the way to the Metropolitan Arena in my canary-yellow Edwardian roadster, affectionately known as “Lizzie”. Beside me in the passenger seat was my young companion and assistant, Millie Drake.
“I was reading about them earlier,” she said. “The name is in reference to the twin girls who are the lead singers, isn’t it?”
“Indeed so,” I replied. “The Park sisters, Gracie and Ella.”
I was clad in my usual finery, including a frilled poet shirt, purple velvet suit, leathern boots, panama hat, and one of my favourite opera capes.
Millie is an exceedingly beautiful young lady, petite and perfect with luxurious chestnut hair, enchanting violet eyes, sun kissed skin, and a sensuously wide mouth. She was wearing a short, tight, baby blue dress that only served to highlight the soft curves of her slender teenage figure.
Also with us was Kit-10, our mobile personal computer that resembles nothing more or less than a small mechanical cat.
“So, Daniel,” said Millie Drake, “what is it about this K-Pop group that is of interest to us?’
“It appears, my dear,” I responded, “that there is indeed something quite unusual about them. You see, at several of their past concerts there have erupted acts of violence. Violence perpetrated by members of their audience.”
“Oh my gosh! Isn’t that strange for fans of this type of music?"
“Quite strange, indeed. It seems as if there is something about the sound frequencies of their music that is affecting the very biology of their largely teen and preteen audience.”
“But how could that be?” questioned Millie. “Who could have the knowledge necessary to do such a thing?”
“The prime suspect would have to be their manager,” I explained. “His name is Zeke Powerz, a former stage illusionist originally from the suburbs of the city of Adams, Tennessee. He at one time billed himself as ‘The Paranormal Magician’.”
“‘Paranormal’?” shuddered the girl. “Daniel, do you mean…?”
“Quite so,” I rejoined. “Zeke Powerz does indeed appear to be an agent of the horrid occult terrorist network known as Spectral Paranormal.”
“Oh my goodness! So what are they trying to do this time?”
“That is what we must find out. Kit-10, are your sensors detecting anything unusual as we near the arena?”
“Affirmative, s--,” replied the mechanical pussycat in her simulated yet pleasantly feminine voice. “Detecting an attached frequency transmission hidden in background noise.”
(It should be noted here that Kit-10, in addition to her other feline aspects, is possessed of the total inability to openly show respect to anyone. In truth, the closest she ever approaches to it is by addressing me with a slight “s--” sound -- for “sir” -- and Millie Drake by “m--” -- for “ma’am”.)
“Hmmm,” I pondered in response to Kit-10's report. “That likely has something to do with what has been happening at the Cuties 2 concerts.”
“So it’s possible this Zeke Powerz person,” added Millie, “is using the music to control people? Is that it?”
“More than likely,” I acquiesced. “It would certainly be possible for that felonious impresario to attach a hidden frequency to music that would excite the hormonal response of human adolescents to the point of violence. Algolites will be immune, of course.”
By this time, we had reached the Metropolitan Arena and parked in the venue’s underground lot. We alighted from the car and began to make our way to the elevator lift. Clearly heard from above us was the music from the already-in-progress K-Pop show.
“I had better analyse the frequency before we get up there,” I said. “If there are acts of violence occurring, it could make it more difficult for us to comprehend the situation.”
“Daniel,” said Millie, “if the frequency affects human teenagers, how come the Park twins aren’t susceptible to it?”
“They probably wear some sort of device that blocks it,” I explained. “Something made of pure silver would do so, that being the origin of the old superstition of utilising silver to neutralise evil. It is likely just a part of their stage costumes, and also that they do not even realise what is happening.”
As we approached the lift, we did not notice that someone was watching us; someone with a pair of dark animalistic eyes that peered at us from the near by service stairway.
I reached in my jacket pocket and took out the transonic turnscrew, an highly advance scientific instrument somewhat resembling a writing pen, then utilising it to scan the area.
“Ah, quite so,” I said upon looking at the resultant readings before returning the transonic to my pocket. “There is indeed an hidden frequency within the music, and it is coming from the backstage area. If we can just…”
The sound of Mille Drake screaming then interrupted me. She had seen the thing just as it approached, but it was already to late. It hit me hard and shoved me up against the wall, then the resultant impact caused me to lose my balance and fall to the hard concrete floor of the parking lot.
I looked up to see my attacker. It was a large, hard muscled, manlike figure incongruously dressed in only a pair of Bermuda shorts. Coarse, brownish-orange hair covered his dark-skinned body, and his face was grotesquely simian of aspect. Of course, I recognised him from an horrid previous encounter.
“By the Triple Star!” I swore. “It is Harry the Ape-Man!”
Then the terrible monstrosity bellowed in bestial challenge and reached out his long arms for my throat!
When Millie had seen me hit the ground, her training then immediately took over and she had gone into a kung fu stance. Then, before the ape-man could reach my throat, she hit him with three quick kicks to the back of his hideously low-browed head.
These kicks did not cause any seriously hurt to the huge Harry, but they did distract and anger him, this diversion being just long enough for me to leap up and deliver a blow to his face.
“Kit-10!” I then shouted. “Use your blaster!”
The nose of the robotic feline then emitted a thin laser beam, hitting the horrid man-ape squarely in the chest and sending him unconscious to the ground.
‘Daniel, are you all right?” cried Millie.
“I am now, love,” I assured her. “Thanks to you and Kit-10.”
We both looked at the creature now lying on the floor.
“Is that really him?” enquired the girl. “Harry the Ape-Man?”
“It indeed is,” I affirmed.
“But wasn’t he working for Don Wingus the last time we met him?”
“Quite so, but the creature is likely available to other Spectral Paranormal agents as well -- like Zeke Powerz! He is probably watching us via security cameras and sent Harry here to keep us from apprehending him, hmmm?”
“What a terrible thing that is,” said Millie Drake. “Harry, I mean. Is he really half ape and half human?”
“Apparently so,” I replied. “He is from a village in Borneo which has become known for its orangutan prostitutes, so he is likely the result of an obscenely illicit and unholy assignation.”
“How long will he stay unconscious?”
“Difficult to say, due to his unusual biology. In any event, we need to move along and get to the backstage area."
With this, Millie, Kit-10, and I then entered the lift and it began its climb upwards. We were then no longer there to see when the horrid subhuman abomination known as Harry the Ape-Man began to move and stir -- showing that he was recovering from Kit-10’s stun ray even sooner than expected. …
The lift opened and we stepped out into the backstage area of the Metropolitan Arena. We clearly heard the music of the Cuties 2, punctuated as it was by the chaotic noise of the rioting audience.
“No one is back here, Daniel,” said Millie, having to somewhat shout to be heard over the din. “What are we going to do?”
“Zeke Powerz has to be hidden here somewhere,” I pondered. “He will be planning whatever outrage he intends to commit by utilisation of that sound wave hidden in the music. He obviously wants to use the affected rage of the young people in order to gain power for himself, likely in some world domination scheme. However, to do this would require a far larger scale than he has here. I wonder if…”
Suddenly, before I could even react to his presence, Zeke Powerz himself stepped out from a near by shadow and raised his automatic -- then firing the pistol directly at me!
I was only saved from being shot by my superior Algolitish reflexes. I dodged slightly, and the bullet whizzed past my head -- missing by a mere fraction of an inch before hitting the wall behind me.
“I have been expecting you, Doctor Rumanos,” announced Zeke Powerz in his fruity southern accent. “Your meddling in the affairs of Spectral Paranormal is well known to me. I have you right in my sights, so you and your friends had better not make any sudden moves.”
“Zeke Powerz the ‘Paranormal Magician’, hmmm?” I rejoined. “It is no surprise that one such as you would be an agent of that horrendous terrorist network.”
“I am that and much more,” he answered, standing before a large window with the lights of the city behind him, “for it is I, in my paranormal research -- who have discovered the use of sound waves to influence human biology.”
“Occult dabbling, you mean. ‘Paranormal’ is just a nonsense word you people use as a pseudo-scientific veneer for your ridiculous quackery.”
“In that you are wrong Doctor,” he replied. “What is currently happening in this arena proves my success, and my triumph will soon be expanded.”
“How so?” I queried. “To utilise this type of anarchy for any planned purpose would require a transmission on a massive scale.”
“That is exactly what is going to happen, Doctor. Three days from now in New York City will be the largest K-Pop concert of all time. It will be transmitted worldwide on television and live streaming on the internet -- and Cuties 2 are the scheduled headliners!”
“You are mad, Powerz,” said I. “You are utterly mad.”
“Perhaps so,” he grinned evilly, “but, as the saying goes, I’m the guy with the gun -- and with the power to take my place as dictator of this world! The transmission will cause unstoppable youth riots around the planet, riots that will bring pandemonium to the world’s governments. They will need someone to restore order, and it is then that I shall step in and become supreme ruler!”
“So you care nothing for the lives of the many innocents that will be lost by this insanity?”
“Not one little bit, Doctor. Only power matters. There must be no mercy. Only power. Only -- Zeke Powerz!!”
It was at that crucial moment that a further horror occurred; for right then I felt two huge hairy hands grasp me around the throat from behind, and suddenly begin dragging me away with incredible strength. Millie Drake screamed and Kit-10 turned in an attempt to aid me, but it was too late.
My attacker was, of course, Harry the Ape Man, who had by now regained consciousness and had followed us up to the backstage area. He had now taken me away from the others, into an adjoining room, an area from which the arena’s electrical system was controlled, containing numerous control levers and masses of exposed wiring.
Harry threw me hard up against the far wall. It took all of my willpower for me to prevent myself from passing out from the impact. I just barely managed to stay on my feet whilst the horrid beast-man approached me.
I gave a punch to his face, but it affected him not at all. He responded with an attempted blow to my midsection, but luckily I succeeded in avoiding most of it. I gave a kung fu kick to his stomach that he obviously felt, as he then gave out a bestial bellow of outrage.
I attempted to reach the side of his neck with my fingers, in order to apply a certain nerve pinch that I knew could have some effect on him. Nevertheless, he continuously managed to avoid this, deftly stepping out of my way and warding me off with his long, thickly muscled arms.
Harry then reached out and grabbed me with his powerful arms around the chest and shoulders, squeezing hard in his unrelenting grasp. I felt all the air leaving my body, and realised I was mere moments from unconsciousness -- an unconsciousness that would be brought on by a terrible combination of the pain and the inability to breathe. I already saw blackness beginning to blot out my vision.
Then, I just managed to hook my foot around my opponent’s ankle and then suddenly jerked it. The result was to send us both to the floor, but I quickly then forced myself back up, taking a deep breath of air in an attempt to fully recover my senses.
The ape-man was soon also again on his feet, and lunged to-wards me with his huge form silhouetted by the glow from a mass of exposed electrical wiring behind him. As he approached, I jumped forwards and delivered a series of kicks to his face and head. The result was to send my half-simian foe stumbling backwards -- in truth, stumbling against the exposed wiring.
Harry the Ape Man gave a final animalistic shriek of pain as the electricity entered him. He then fell to the floor quite dead, his body a charred heap of motionless flesh and bone and hair.
I then quickly exited that room and returned to the other, finding myself then in the middle of an horrible standoff. Zeke Powerz was holding Millie Drake cruelly with his arm around her throat. At the same time, he held the barrel of the automatic pistol right up against the side of her dear head. Kit-10 was near by, but dared not fire her laser in fear of harm coming to Millie.
“Powerz, you ungodly fiend!” I shouted.
“Your interference in my plans is over, Doctor,” he said. “Surrender now or I will not hesitate to blow your little girlfriend’s brains out!”
I am wondering, my dear friends and most loyal of readers, if you can even commence to comprehend and understand the sheer unhallowed horror, forsooth the complete and utterly unholy terror of the situation in which we found ourselves, there on that fateful night at the “Cuties 2” K-Pop concert at the Metropolitan Arena. There we were -- Miss Millie Drake, Kit-10, and me -- in a weird standoff with the execrable occult terrorist known to eternal damnation by the sickening moniker of Zeke Powerz. This same ungodly criminal who had utilised a strange technology to control the minds of innocent young people, leading them to commit acts of wanton chaotic violence, and who intended to extend this offence to such a length that he could exploit it even to the point of making himself supreme dictator of planet Earth. What is more, the same villain who even now was threatening the life of my beloved friend and companion, the beautiful Millie Drake herself!
“It will not work, Powerz,” I taunted. “One such as you cannot rule this world. Even if you somehow managed to pull off this mad plan, the people of Earth would soon rise up and depose you.”
“You are wrong, Doctor,” sneered the villain. “You are very wrong indeed. I have trained at the very feet of Magister Wingus himself, carefully groomed since childhood to become the master of this planet. I have received his essence many times, and shall now use all that I have learned and absorbed -- my Zeke Powerz powers -- to fulfil the destiny of Spectral Paranormal to subjugate the human race to our will!”
I noticed that my conversation with Zeke Powerz was indeed having its hoped-for effect. In his anger, his hands were trembling slightly, this causing the point of the gun to move a few millimetres away from Millie’s head.
“Twaddle,” I countered his last boast. “Absolute twaddle. You have no power, Powerz. Why, you are as powerless as a little kitten, hmmm? Less so, in fact.”
At this distraction and signal, Kit-10 then fired a precise shot of her laser directly at the gun Zeke Powerz was holding to Millie Drake’s head. The automatic then was flung out of his hand and clattered harmlessly to the floor across the room.
I jumped forward and pushed Zeke Powerz out of the way, pulling Millie away from him to safety at my side. I then quickly took the transonic turnscrew from my pocket and activated a certain setting, then raising it upwards. Within a moment, the entire atmosphere of the arena seem to change in a subtle way.
Millie, Kit-10 and I retreated to a corner of the backstage area as the crowd suddenly entered the room. They approached Zeke Powerz with obviously violent intent as he retreated before them.
“No!” he shrieked. “You cannot do this to me! I am Zeke Powerz the Paranormal Magician! I am an agent of Spectral Paranormal! I should be ruling the world! You cannot do this to me!!”
By now, Powerz had backed himself up against the large window behind him as the enraged audience members approached. As he continued to retreat, he then slipped and fell backwards, smashing through the window and falling with an agonised shriek to the concrete sidewalk far below.
I then quickly raised the transonic again and activated it. Once more, there was a subtle shift in frequency and, in a mere moment, the crowd of youthful audience members began to disperse from the backstage area, returning to their place in the concert venue. Within a few moments, the K-Pop show was going on normally, as of nothing untoward had even occurred.
“All is now well, my friends,” I announced, returning the transonic to my jacket pocket . “The horrid scheme of Zeke Powerz, indeed an operative of the notorious Spectral Paranormal, is now at an end.”
“But, Daniel,” said Millie, “how did you do it?”
“At first, I utilised the transonic device to switch the polarity of the sound wave’s neutronic stream. This then caused the affected audience members to concentrate their anger on the originator of what had caused them to have such violent impulses in the first place. Now I have managed to turn the wave off completely, and the music of Cuties 2 is now completely harmless.”
I walked over to the smashed window, with Millie Drake and Kit-10 behind me. Then I looked out and beheld the mangled corpse of Zeke Powerz far below on the blood-splattered concrete.
“He is dead,” I affirmed to my companions. “We should now contact our old friend Captain Hurley at the City Police Department. They can clean up things here. The planet Earth -- and the K-Pop genre -- are now both safe from the execrable occult criminal known to eternal infamy as Zeke Powerz!”
***** DANIEL RUMANOS AND MILLIE DRAKE SHALL RETURN
